Willard h



W. H. GILMAN.

LETTER FILE.

(No Model.)

Patented June 17, 1884.

ilivrrsn. Srn'rns Pn'rsivir Orrics.

IVILLARD .I-I. GILMAX, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO THE CHALLENGE LETTER FILE'GOMPANY, OF CONCORD, N. H.

LETTER-FILE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 300,594, dated June 17, 1884.

Application filed August 13, 1883. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLARD H. Grmnin, of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain Improvements in Letter-Files, of which the fol' lowing is a specification.

This invention has for its object to provide an improved letter-file and a case therefor, adapted to be more conveniently used than those now in use, and occupying less space; and it consists in the improvements which I will now proceed to describe and claim.

Of the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 represents a perspective view of a letter-file and case therefor embodying my invention. Fig. 2 represents an end view of the case, showing it turned up against a wall. Fig. 3 represents a longitudinal section of the case. Fig. 4: represents a top view of my improved file enlarged. Fig. 5 represents a section on line mm, Fig. :L. Fig. 6 represents an enlarged section of a portion of the file. Fig. '7 represents an enlarged section of a portion of the box.

The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in all the figures.

In carrying out my invention, I construct a iilc, f, by securing to a suitable base, a,(which is preferably a flat strip of pasteboard or cardboard,) a series of leaves or sheets, b, of paper or other suitable flexible material, each sheet being attached at one edge and free at the other. The sheets 3 are of substantially uniform width, and are attached to the base a at points successively farther from a given end of the latter, said points being separated by intervening spaces, so that each leaf occupies a different lateral position from the others, each leaf, if turned upwardly at right angles to the base, being entirely separated from the adjacent leaves. The sheets all lie substantially parallel with the base. and partially overlap each other, the free edge of each sheet projecting beyond the sheet above, as shown in Figs. l and .3. It will be seen that the space or crevice between each sheet and the one above it constitutes a pocket or receptacle adapted to receive one or more loose sheets of paper. The peculiar arrangement of the sheets above described enables said pockets to be conveniently foundand opened, the projecting porprinted, to distinguish the pocket of which said sheet forms the bottom from the other pockets. The arrangement of the sheets enables the file to receive a greater number of letters than it could if the leaves were arranged in a vertical series as in ordinary book form, because a letter interposed. between any two leaves does not increase the thickness of the entire file or series of leaves as it would if they were arranged in ordinary book form. It is obvious, therefore, that a given number of letters interposed between the leaves will not increase the thickness of the file so much as the same number interposed between leaves arranged in book form. In securing the leaves I) to the base a, I prefer to bend back a portion, Z), of each leaf and cement the under side of said portion to the base, as shown in Fig. 6, the bend in the leaf connecting the portion 11 to the body of the leaf constituting aflexible connection, which permits the leaf to accommodate itself to the accumulation of letters placed under it.

The file thus constructed is especially adapted to be placed in an elongated shallow box or case, 71 such as is shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, the bases (1. being placed on the bottom of said box, and preferably secured by buttons pivoted to the bottom of the box and adapted to pass through slots in the bases (6 when said bases are being placed in position, and to be turned at right angles to said slots after the bases are laid upon the bottom of the box. I

prefer to make said box of sufficient size to receive two or more files, and provide it with a cover, 7/, smaller than the external area of the heir, and adapted to bear directly upon the files contained therein and keep the leaves of said files in place. The cover is connected to the box by pivots 21 ii, and to accommodate the cover to the increasing thickness of the files as the accumulation of letters increases, I provide a series of orifices, j j, as shown in Fi 3, adapted to hold said pivots at different heights from the bottom ofthe box. Said pivots are adapted to be removed from the receiving-orifices in the box and cover, and inserted in other orifices in the box when it is desirable to adjust the cover. The cover of the box therefore serves to hold the leaves of a numtion of each leaf being suitably marked or v slightly-inclined position when it is in use, as

shown in Fig. 1. hen the box is in this position and the cover is closed, it is adapted for use as a desk. \Vhen the box is not in use, it may be turned upwardly out of the way and held by a catch, 0, as shown-in Fig. 2, the cover bearing against the files in the box preventing the contents of said files from'being displaced.

-The box is provided on the inner surface of its front side with a plate, 1), having a series of notches, each adapted 'to receive a sliding belt or catch, q, on the forward edge of the cover. The series of notches enables the cover to be fastened at different distances from the bottom of the box.

To distinguish the different files from each other, I provide each file with oneor more letters of the alphabet, which are the initial letters of the writers of the communications to be placed in said files. For example, the first file may have on itsv cover the initial letters A B, as shown in Fig. 4. To distinguish the different pockets of the file, I provide the projecting edges of the leaves or sheets with the letters of the alphabet, as shown in Fig. 4, each lea-f having one letter; or, if desired, two or more letters which do not recur frequently may be placed on one leaf. Each section or file preferably contains twenty-six leaves besides the upper leaf, and said leaves are numbered on their exposed ends from 1 to 26.

The described index enables the user to file his papers by selecting any given letter in the name of the writer of the paper after the first letter and putting the paper in the pocket having the letter selected. For example, take a communication written by a person named Jones. Suppose the selected letter to be the third one of the nameviz, N. The operator puts the paper in the pocket lettered f N of the file or section marked J. If the name were Smith, the paper would .be put in the pocket lettered I of the section marked 6 t S.) 7 system papers can be filed much more rapidly than by any other with which I am acquainted.

Each file may be provided with extra or special pockets in addition to those which are lettered.

I claim- 1. A letter-file composed of a base extending across the pockets, and superposed leaves of substantially uniform width secured at their inner edges to said base at points successively farther from a given side thereof, so as to form a series of overlapping pockets, substantially as described.

2. A letter-file composed of a fiat base and I have found by practice that by this a series of single leaves or sheets of substantially uniform width, each having a portion, 1), pasted at its under side to the base, and bent overto form a pocket, as set forth.

8. The combination of a box or case, one or more files constructed substantially as described, inclosed in said box, a cover adapted to enter the box and bear on the files therein, means as specified for pivoting the inner edge of said cover at different heights from the bottom of the box, and means as specified for securing the swinging edge of the cover to the box at different heights from the bottom thereof, as set forth. l

4.. The combination of a box or case having vertical series of orifices j near its back, and a vertical notched plate, 3 at its point, one or more files inclosed in said box, a cover adapted to enter the box, and provided with removable pivots 2', adapted to enter the orifices j, and with a catch, 9, adapted to engage with either of the notches of the plate 1), as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, this 9th day of August, '1883.

W'ILLARD H. GILMAN.

lVitnesses:

C. F. Bnow v, A. L. WHITE. 

